1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a set-top box. More specifically, the present invention relates to a set-top box which allows a key command to be input thereto in real time while displaying animation data on an on-screen display (OSD) screen and a method of outputting OSD data of the set-top box.
2. Description of the Related Art
In digital broadcasting unlike analog broadcasting, a viewer can obtain various information about a digital broadcast program or a video-on-demand (VOD) program while watching the program because a broadcasting station transmits information about the digital broadcast program or the VOD program along with the program (hereinafter referred to as “information data”). Therefore, in order to watch a digital broadcast program or a VOD program transmitted by a broadcasting station, a viewer must have a TV and a set-top box that is capable of receiving and reproducing digital broadcast programs, or a television in which such a set-top box is installed.
Information data can be displayed in an on-screen display (OSD) screen, or it can be arranged on the entire screen of a display device.
FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating a display screen produced using a conventional method of outputting OSD data. Referring to FIG. 1, information is overlaid on a display screen 100 on which a digital broadcast program, such as a movie, is displayed. If a user presses a menu key while the movie is showing, a menu bar 110 and bitmap animation data 120 related to the menu key selected by the user, are overlaid on a lower portion of the display screen 100.
FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating a conventional method of outputting OSD data.
Referring to FIG. 2, the horizontal axis represents the passage of time and is divided into a plurality of sections corresponding to a plurality of operations of the conventional OSD method, that is, operations S210, S220, and S230. When a user presses a menu key, OSD animation data (for example, the bitmap animation data 120 of FIG. 1) is executed on a display screen (for example, the display screen 100 of FIG. 1) in operation S210. The OSD animation data may be comprised of a plurality of image files. Preferably, the OSD animation data may be comprised of a plurality of bitmap files, but is not limited thereto. If, for example, the OSD animation data is comprised of a total of 10 bitmap files and the 10 bitmap files are displayed at intervals of 0.5 seconds, it takes 5.0 seconds to execute the entire OSD animation data, that is, operation S210 lasts for about 5 seconds. While displaying the OSD animation data, the set-top box cannot perform other operations, such as receiving a key command input via, for example, a remote controller. Thereafter, in operation S220, the set-top box stands by, waiting for a user to input a key command thereto. In operation S230, the set-top box can receive a VOD key command input by the user, and it can display VOD image data in response to the received command.
With existing OSD systems, a user is required to wait until the execution of the bitmap animation, which is always the same and is often tedious. As such, having to repeatedly watch the bitmap animation without being able to skip it is likely to bore or irritate the user.
Accordingly, a need exists for a system and method which can accept a key command input while animation data is displayed on an on-screen display (OSD).